We’re the reason Purell^® is everywhere.

It probably seems like an obvious marketing strategy: Put your product out there for anyone to use for free and let them see how convenient it is. Job done, right?

Not exactly. Before hiring us, Gojo Industries, maker of Purell, was having trouble penetrating several emerging markets. Grocery stores were among their top targets because market research had long shown that customers saw them as dingy.

It was the perfect opportunity to capitalize on. But it turned into a textbook example of the importance of communication strategy.

Gojo had given out Purell wipe dispensers to grocery stores to place at their entrances for customers to wipe their hands and carts with. But customers didn’t see convenience. They saw a store putting the responsibility to stay clean on them.

That’s when Gojo came to us. Our research found that cleanliness—not variety or proximity or even price—was the leading indicator for store choice. In fact, Consumer Reports found that consumers’ top six stores were among the cleanest grocery stores in America.

So, we flipped the script. First, the wipe dispenser at the entrance got a sign. It didn’t tell customers to do anything with the wipes. Instead, it said that the employees cleaned with Purell.

Then the store got more wipe dispensers and hand pumps—with directions on where to place them behind the meat and deli counters and in the restrooms—to drive home the message that these were for staff to stay clean with.

The response was undeniable. Customers spoke with their feet and 100+ retail chains adopted the program, including all six preferred stores. And Gojo saw seven-digit revenue from businesses and consumers alike.

If we had only focused on tactics, we might have dismissed the wipe dispenser and missed out on an opportunity to fulfill a brand promise. But by looking at research and thinking strategically, we were able to adjust and produce results.

This is one small example of what Hardman Group does. Tell us what we can do for you.